Improptu
by Tree of Ashes
Summary: A collection of drabbles. New: Running: Sequal to Number 12:Waiting. She was tired of waiting. She wanted answers to her forgotten memories. What she got was something entirely different. It's a chase scene. She is the mouse.
1. Chapter 1: Reason

AN: The first in a collection of drabbles that are not only random, chances are they make no sense.

* * *

Chase Young was perfectly at peace with being evil. He _liked_ sitting in his castle, in the Middle of Nowhere, ignoring the rest of theworld, and doing viciously evil things to people who happened to either annoy him, challenge him, or stumbled across his Palace. 

He was perfectly okay with ignoring the world and meditating in the mountain he happened to live in. He had a routine. A routine that included mediating, and fighting, and mediating, and killing people, and mediating, and practicing his martial arts, and mediating, and eating dragons, and mediating, and drowning puppies, and most of all mediating.

He didn't know exactly when they began to interrupt his routine, but he remembered it.

He was mediating at the time, when he heard the loud knock the echo through palace. His eyes snapped open in annoyance, but he waved his hand, indicting that the door should be opened.

It was an action that he regretted doing every single day for the rest of his life.

The grand doors open and in stepped a thin, lanky looking man. He was dressed in a tie and a business suit and carried a bunch of formal looking papers. "Hello." He began in a rather boisterous voice, "My name is Carl Furgson, and I here to tell you about _Laundry's Washing Machines_. There a lovely brand of machines that will help you-"

"Sic him." Chase deadpanned, before watching Carl be torn apart by several types of big cats. Carl did, after all, intruded on his all important mediation to sell him _washing machines_.

It, however, didn't stop with Carl. No, after Carl, more came. How they found him in the Middle of Nowhere was beyond Chase, but find him they did.

They came armed with magazines and books filled with coupon for places that didn't exist or weren't relatively near him. They came for Church Fundraiser and School Drives. They came selling everything from manure to the shirt on there backs. They ignored the "No Solicitors" signs and dodged the many traps Chase's minions set.

And no matter how many times Chase murdered them, or how many times he told them to 'Go away before he ripped them open, took out their hearts and sent it to there families', or how many times Chase even didn't open the door, they kept on coming.

But the worse of them all; were the Girl Scouts.

They was just no stopping them, and they would _cry_ when you didn't by anything, (not that Chase cared if a little girl was crying. Pssh, as if. No, it just… interrupted his err, mediating. Yeah, that it. There sobs disturbed his mediating). One even had the audacity to (attempt) to kick Chase Young in the legs.

Once, Chase had bought a box of the infernal cookies, just to shut them up. Then, bang, he was hooked. He couldn't help it. He loved the cookies as much as he hated them. They were addicting, but to get them, he had to be visited by little demons called Girl Scouts. 

To make it all worse, one of his minion had to go install a _phone_.

Chase wasn't sure who did it, but when he found out, he would kill them. No, he would torture and then killed them. 

People kept calling him. Interrupting his mediation to talk about politics, and sell him crap. Honestly! They already had his house surrounded, couldn't they let him have some minor peace in his own home.

And every time he ripped the phone off the wall and smashed it into the ground, stomping on it for all that its worth. Somebody would go and replace it with a new one.

That somebody was going to die, very soon. A slow, slow, painful death.

As it was, the world, seem to be ganging up on him. He couldn't get in an hour's worth of mediation, let alone anything else in his routine. So that when Chase Young decided, he was going to destroy the world. The world was obviously screwing him over, so it was Chase's turn to screw the world over.

And so he started planning.

In between the feverish interruption of his ever-persistent evil solicitors.


	2. Chapter 2: Hug

A/N: Minor ClayxKatnappe, which make this whole drabble strange enough with out me saying anything.

Honestly, there was something about him she just couldn't quite fathom. Like why exactly did he treat her differently from the rest of the girls?

He seemed to have no qualms throwing a boulder at Wuya, and deeming her an ugly old hag. She knew he would spar with Kimiko; she had seen them the times she had tried to sneak in to the Temple to steal their Shen Gong Wu, or that one time she had faked being good and they had taken her in like the good, caring, moralistic people they were. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

So why exactly, did he fell the urge to be chivalrous around her? The 'I don't fight girls' thing, was getting far past the point of annoyance. At first, it just made things easier to escape, but now, as they fought and ran into each other more and more; she kept up ending in an earthy cage, or worse, his arms.

Like she was now.

When they were kids, it hadn't been that bad, it was sort of an innocent bear hug, but as you get older, you tend to, ah, _mature_ more. You know what I mean right? Over our teenage years our bodies go through embarrassing stages to reach adulthood. Making it awkward, being a fully grown woman, to be pressed up in a tight hug against Clay Bailey, who was one of you so-called enemies.

Ashley twitched in his arms, trying had not to blush. "Do you mind?" she snapped, twisting her head to get a good look up at the man holding her.

He proceeded to raise an eyebrow, blue eyes sparking underneath blond hair, and chuckled, which rumbled through his chest and straight into her. Her claws clenched into her black cat suit, as she felt the heat rise from her neck.

It wasn't like she was a completely innocent person. She had her fair share of lovers, and she teased at parties, but she wasn't a slut. She had standards. And she didn't like being pressed up against a guy she was supposed to be fighting.

"What so funny?" She hissed through her teeth. Shifting her dangling her legs she tried to kick him in the groin, but he had learned his lesson from the last time, and was now standing in a way where she couldn't get an opening.

"Nuthin'" He said with a toothy grin.

Ashley resisted the urge to scream, and slowly strangle him. "Are you going to let me go anytime soon?"

"Nope." He said, and Ashley's eyes widened.

"_What_?" In all the time that this sort of incident happened, (it happened more often then Ashley liked), he had always let her go as soon as possible. After the fighting was done, or she had let go of the Shen Gong Wu, but this time she didn't have any Shen Gong Wu and there wasn't any fighting going on, it had stopped several minutes ago. In fact, nobody was here but them. "Why?"

He gave her a toothy grin. "Just don't feel like letting go of ya again."

Oh, she was going to kill him.


	3. Chapter 3: Word

AN: The only thing I don't like about this, is that Omi really does act like a four year old. Sigh. I'm to lazy to try and fix it, anyway. Oh, this is unedited, so it might have some (or alot) of grammar mistakes. If it really bad, leave a review saying so, and I will go back and fix it, however if nobody really says anything, I'm a lazy enough person to ignore it.

Disclaimer: I can honestly say that I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Warning: Mild swearing. Well, it what **I** consider mild, we all have different opinions. Also, just in case... _I don't approve of swearing, and personal I find it annoying that my friends swear every other word._ And some OOCness.

* * *

Tension cut through the silence like a knife and Raimundo found himself wishing he was far, far, away from Temple. Anywhere but the Temple; he would much rather walk into Jack's so-called evil lair wearing nothing but a flowery dress or have tea with Chase and Wuya while discussing his family affairs.

"What did you say?" Kimiko asked Omi, with wide blue eyes, ignoring the way her leader was trying to sneak out of the room.

Omi blinked; obviously very confused by the way everyone was acting. "Shit?" he repeated again.

Raimundo winced. _'Not good, not good!'_ he chanted in his mind. He was a dead man walking.

Clay, who had stopped murdering his turkey leg when Omi had first swore, pushed the plate of food away, "Where'd ya hear that word, little partner?"

Omi blinked, before "Raimundo, why?"

'_Shit,'_ thought Raimundo.

"Rai!" shouted Kimiko looking aghast and spinning to stare at him. Clay just shook his head.

"It was an accident!" Exclaimed Raimundo defensively. _'Several accidents,'_ He added darkly before continuing, "I didn't know he was there."

"Why? What is wrong with the word 'shit'?" asked Omi.

"Nothing," muttered Raimundo and Kimiko hit him upside the head.

"Omi," Clay said slowly, "That word… isn't a nice word."

"But Raimundo says it all the time." Protested Omi innocently, and Raimundo was suddenly sure that this was some sort of evil revenge plan.

"It doesn't matter if Raimundo says it all the time; that word is a bad word." Kimiko glared at Raimundo, who, by now, was wishing the wooden floor would open up and swallow him whole.

"But Raimundo says that word all the time…" Omi protested yet again and Raimundo secretly wished he would shut up. "So…" continued Omi, the little wheels in his head turning as he processed the information, "NO!" he suddenly shouted. "Raimundo, you are turning evil again!"

"What?" squawked Raimundo as Omi lunched himself at his leg.

"Don't do it, Raimundo!" Omi pleaded.

"Get off me! Relax, Omi, I'm not evil, that happened years ago." Raimundo sighed, trying to stop the embarresment from creeping up his neck.

"Oh," said Omi removing himself from Raimundo leg, "So you're not evil." He confirmed, "But that word is a bad word."

"Yes." Kimiko stated before Raimundo could say anything.

"So I said a bad word?" asked Omi with wide eyes.

"Uhh…" Kimiko went, as she watched a range of emotions cross Omi face.

Omi screamed suddenly, jumping to his feet, "Must get clean" he shouted, expect he was holding his tongue so it came out something like, "Ussed it lean" and ran out of the room screaming something that sounded suspiciously like "soap".

Silence fell between Omi's three comrades as they stared after him, before Clay slowly rose to his feet sighing, "I'm going to make sure Omi doesn't swallow and choke on the soap again."

As Clay left Kimiko turned to Raimundo glaring and eyebrows raised expectantly.

Raimundo shifted uncomfortably.

"Rai…" she started dangerously, tossing fire between her hands, "We had this discussion before about watching what you say in front of Omi."

Raimundo snorted, "Oh, please, stupid isn't that bad of a word." He proclaimed referring to the first incident.

"It is for Omi." Kimiko ground out, "But that not the point, what did I say about swearing in front of him?"

'_Not too_,' thought Raimundo, but instead rolled his eyes, "Shit isn't that bad of a word."

Kimiko narrowed her eyes dangerously but Raimundo missed the warning sign and continued, "I can see it being a big deal if it was one of the stronger swear words, but jeez… Shit technically just means poop. And poop is technically just your body's waste."

"Rai…" Kimiko hissed dangerously, her blue eyes lighting up dangerously.

Raimundo frowned, "This isn't helping my cause, is it?"

From the way of Kimiko's Death Glare, it was a completed and total 'no'.

"I still say you're over reacting," muttered Raimundo.

"Rai! You're slowly corrupting Omi!" exploded Kimiko.

"Please, he's sixteen," Raimundo snapped back, "You're babying him!"

"It doesn't matter if he's sixteen or four!" Kimiko snarled throwing fire at the wall a few inches from Raimundo head, (Raimundo, for his credit, or stupidity, didn't even bat an eyelash,) "You know how he reacts to that sort of thing!"

"That why I didn't tell him what it meant," Raimundo pointed out.

"I don't care! You shouldn't say such things around him!"

"Kimiko!" cried Raimundo completely frustrated with the situation, "I shouldn't have to watch my mouth in front of a sixteen year old! When I was in first grade I was looking up the word 'ass' in the dictionary."

"Ass?" Interrupted a voice Raimundo really didn't want to hear at the moment.

"What does 'ass' mean?" question Omi, who had come back after washing his mouth out.

Looking at their face, realization suddenly dawned on him and then, "AHHH! Another bad word! Soap!" and Omi scurried out the room.

Outside Raimundo heard Clay yell, "What!? Not again!"

Slowly Raimundo turned to Kimiko, watching the blue fire in her hand with distaste. "I'm dead aren't I?"

She nodded.

"Ten second head start?"

"Five." She answered.

"Eh, better then nothing," replied Raimundo before running out of the room screaming.


	4. Chapter 4: Period

A/N: Right... well... I honestly have no excuse for this... NO EXCUSE. If you're a guy, you might want to run. And there is some Chase/Wuya indicated here... Oh, and this is unedited, so it might hurt your eyes...

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Sometimes, Wuya missed being a spirit. Granted she, while in that form, couldn't showcase her natural beauty, and her senses were limited, but while she was a spirit there were a lot of things she didn't really have to deal with.

Like pain, bloating and Mother Nature's "gift" to women.

Muttering curses under her breath, Wuya dug through the items in her private bathrooms.

"Where is it?" she seethed. Tossing the warm towels to the floor, her green almond eyes darted to the pink box. A satisfied smirk crossed her face as she had reached for the box that Katnappé had given a couple months earlier, after explaining to her how tampons worked and most women in this millennium used them.

Opening the box, Wuya gasped in horror. It was empty. Setting the small box alight with green fire, she marched out of the room.

"I'm going out!" Wuya informed Chase while she headed towards the exit… or entrance, depending on how you looked at it.

"No, you're not." He deadpanned, not looking up from his mediation.

Ignoring him, Wuya reached for the doors, only to find on one of Chase's magical barriers in place. Frowning Wuya turned to him, "and pray tell, why not?"

"Because you have no self restraint, and will promptly go off searching for Shen Gong Wu. Which you will fail to get, end up getting your rear trashed, and I will have to go retrieve you from doing anything further that will embarrass me." Chase explained, not bothering to look at her.

"I'm not going after Shen Gong Wu." She told him.

Chase had the gall to snort.

"I need a women's product."

"For who?" sneered Chase, obviously not in a good mood.

Wuya sighed; throwing fire at the dumb man would do no good. "Chase," she whined, "you really should let me go."

"Why?"

"I'm on my menstrual cycle." She glared; well she did try and spare him.

"And that is...?" He finally looked up from his mediation forms.

Wuya stared. "You don't know?"

"I don't pay attention to your mental cycles." He sighed.

"You seriously don't know?" She gasped. He glared at her, and she burst out laughing. Oh, this was rich. Wuya clutched at her sides, as Chase prowled towards her, looking unamused. She eyed him wearily, "You do know about the birds and the bees, don't you?" She teased.

Chase looked unimpressed, "I believe we proved quite thoroughly that I have heard of that concept."

Wuya shrugged, it was her fault for asking a question she already knew the answer too. "Yes, yes, and you were very good, Chase." She shrugged him off. "But do you seriously not know what the menstrual cycle is? The period? Mother Nature's curse?"

Chase face remained blank.

She grinned; oh, she was going to have fun with this.

--

"Are you sure I should go?" She called over her shoulder, as Chase shooed her out the entrance doors, "I might randomly decide I might go on a wild goose chase for Shen Gong Wu."

Chase glared at her, and opted to slam the double doors in her face.

Rolling her eyes, Wuya idly headed to the nearest store in the Middle of Nowhere, planning on stealing her tampons.


	5. Chapter 5: Answer

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

* * *

"Do you think this makes me look fat?" Kimiko asked her teammates.

They froze before slowly stopping and turning to stare at her.

"What?" croaked Rai, fear creeping into his eyes.

"Do these jeans," Kimiko touched her new pants and did a tiny spin, "make me look fat?"

Rai gulped, not even looking at Kimiko, remembering all the time his older sister asked that question, and thought fast. "Nope, you look great. Don't you think so Clay?"

"Yeah," Clay agreed as Rai nudged him, not liking to be in such a dangerous position, "wonderful. Right, Omi?"

Omi cocked his head to side looking at her, "Just a little."

"What?" Asked Kimiko, eyes zoning in on him.

In the background Clay and Rai franticly tried to signal there friend to take it back.

"It makes you rear look big." Omi told her.

The other boys groan.

"Omi." Kimiko growled, fire sparking in her hands.

Omi blinked, face growing pale as he realized he might have said the wrong thing.

--

Rai and Clay sat next to a recently fried Omi.

"You do know, she going to be in a bad mood, and extremely self conscious for the next couple of weeks." Moaned Rai.

Omi bristled, "How was I supposed to know she would act that way?"

"Omi," Clay said, "from my experience, when a female asked that question, she always looks perfect and fine. Never fat. Don't ever say she looks fat."

* * *

A/N: Yeah. I'm trying to make a hundred word drabble. And I'm failing miserably. This one was about two hundred. For some reason, it's extremely difficult to make it exactly one hundred words...


	6. Chapter 6: Award

A/N: Huh, okay, I total thought of this idea while I was PMing Tai Birdsong (so you might be able to figure out how this ends), and it took me a day to write. Anyways, I tired to keep OCCnes in check, not to sure how that turned out, I think did a pretty good epic fail.

Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't sue.

Warnings: None, except some language... if you consider h, e, double hockey stick a swear word. Oh, and some implied violence, but we all love that sort of thing anyways... right? Oh, and like the rest of these, it's basically unedited.

* * *

The musky scent of fool play swirled throughout the dark room. Cockroaches crawled in the corner and rats made their way underneath the tables as they attempted to reach the kitchen. Slime dripped from the high ceiling, and the faint echoes of tortured screams seem to wail as background music.

Round tables clothed in crimson and black, lay throughout the room. Dimly lit by candle light, the room housed a dreadful assortment of villains.

"The food here is awful." Wuya commented idly, as she stared at her plate. She had refused to touch the glowing substance, and was eyeing it with distaste.

Chase sighed, reached over and plucked the thing off her place, before putting it into his mouth and swallowing.

"Chase!" gasped Wuya, "That was moving!"

"You need a tougher stomach," Chase replied, before guzzling from the goblet of blood.

Wuya gagged. "Stomach has nothing to do with it. That's sickening."

Chase gave her a dry look, but before he could find scathing reply, he was interrupted by a loud squeak.

"Somethingjusttouchedmyleg." Jack breathed bring both legs up to his chest, red eyes wide as saucers while he monitored the grimy floor.

Wuya and Chase looked on with a mix of shock and disgust as he began to hyperventilate.

"Oh, Jack, just shut it." Said their last tablemate, appearing bored, "It was probably just a rat."

"Go dig a hole, Ashley." Retorted Jack, giving her the finger.

"It's Katnappé," corrected Ashley, looking like she wanted to jump over the round, poorly lit and feebly decorated table to claw at Jack's face.

"Quiet children," barked Wuya.

"Can it, hag." Jack snapped, who had stopped hyperventilating but still refused to put his new black combat boots on the floor.

"Would all of you just shut up?" Questioned Chase as a migraine began to take form.

"Nope, that would make everything too easy." Chirped Ashley, whoops-sorry, Katnappé, "look Jack, see there are rats everywhere." She bent down and pick up one of her blue cats, which had a brown rat firm stuck in its jaw.

Katnappé cooed praise to her cat, as she yanked the dirty rat out of its mouth and threw it over her shoulder.

Jack looked like he was about to barf.

Wuya sighed, "When is this going to be end?"

"You're just upset because you haven't won anything," boosted Katnappé, giving an appreciative look to the Best Criminal Cat Thief Award, she had one a few hours earlier.

"It's not my fault that the judges don't know an evil criminal when they see one." Wuya tried to look aloof.

Something that sounded suspiciously like a snort escaped from Chase.

Wuya shot him the best death glare she could muster.

"Yeah, even one of my robots got an award, Wuya," bragged Jack.

Wuya raised an eyebrow, "Yes, the Quickest Death Award is something to be quiet proud of. And I especially loved how they placed the medal on top of its pile of ruble. It was sooo inspiring." Sarcasm dripped from her tone and Jack blushed while stuttering.

"You're just jealous." He accused.

"Of what? You're ability to effortlessly make breakable robots? And if you didn't notice you have yet to receive an award of your own, too." Wuya shot back.

"Do you too ever stop bricking?" wondered Chase as his migraine got steadily worse.

Suddenly, a deep booming echo through the room, "and now… the Evilest Villain Award goes to…"

Silence fell through large room, as the villains waited in anticipation, the spot light going from table to table.

"I wonder how they're doing that…?" muttered Katnappé as she tried to see where the light was coming form.

"Please, please, let it be me." Prayed Jack as he crossed his fingers.

A few table away Vald looked hopeful, and next to him Pandabubba tried to remember if he paid off the right amount of people. Hannibal Bean smiled greedily, petting his Evilest Vegetable Award and craving to add to his collection.

Wuya straighten her dress, and her fingers flew to her hair. Chase sat up and puffed out his chest, waiting for his name to be called.

"Le Mime!" The voice shouted, at the light landed on the black and white figure.

Everybody gapped.

Le Mime jumped and silently cheered for himself, grabbing the award that seemed to appear out of thin air. He moon walked backwards, doing a disturbing creepy victory dance.

"NO!" sobbed Jack.

A few people let out choked coughs, Chase's jaw dropped to the floor, and one of Jack's robots imploded as it tried to process what just happened.

Wuya stood up, twitching slightly. "Le Mime." She called, and Le Mime stopped dancing, much to everyone relief. "I don't mean to seem rude-, oh never mind, yes I do, what the hell did you ever do to deserve that award?"

Le Mime blinked twice, and then pursued a long charade game between Wuya and Le Mime.

"Soo… you…" Wuya face twisted as she watched Le Mime go through the movements, "took a bag of…"

Le Mime nodded enthusiastically.

"Puppies?" Guessed Wuya, but Le Mime shook his head and went through another motion. Wuya thought for a moment, "Kittens?"

Le Mime nodded.

"So you took a bag of kittens and…" Wuya paused raising an eyebrow as she watched. "And drown them? In a river?"

Le Mime smiled happily and clapped his hands.

"That's it?" Chase deadpanned, looking unhappy and voicing Wuya's and everyone else's thoughts.

Le Mime shot him a look that clear read 'you're-just-jealous-cuz-you-don't-have-the-guts-to-do-what-I-did.'

Chase twitched.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Katnappé lied, not looking the least sorry, "but did you just say that you drowned kittens?"

Le Mime stopped celebrating to give her a weary glance.

"Kittens, which are a member of the feline family?" She asked, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on her face as she slowly stalked up to him.

Le Mime began to back out of the room slowly, sensing danger.

Katnappé's mutant cats hissed as they surrounded Le Mine, and with a twisted smile Katnappé raised her metal claws.

Le Mime opened his mouth in a silent scream, as he tried to sprint out of the room. After him, Katnappé lunged, as she attempted to rip out his internals.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, the villains all get together and give out awards to see whom's the Best Villain, which is an oxymoron. I have no clue who the judges are, if I had a vote, it would go to Chase. But apparently Le Mime is the real evil mastermind.


	7. Chapter 7: Win

"YES!" Shouted Omi, laughing loudly, "I won! I am the winner!"

"I have beaten you!" He told the cowboy.

He jump point a finger at the girl, "I brought you to school!"

"I have thrashed you!" He jumped onto the table in front of the Goth, causing its the many colored contents to go crashing to the floor.

"And you leader," he rounded on the Brazilian, "I trampled you, with my skillz. I have won!"

"Jackie, do you and your little friends want cookies?" Call Mrs. Spicer from down-stairs.

"Yes!" scream Omi as he flounced out of the room, "I won, I get the cookies!"

"That is the last time I ever play Life with that kid." Raimundo deadpanned.

* * *

A/N: Short, small piece that still isn't exactly a hundred words, it's a hundred nineteen, but I couldn't make it any shorter without being unhappy about it. I never knew making something exactly a hundred words was this hard to do, but it feels like I'm pulling my hair out of head.

And yes, the Xiaolin Warriors are in Jack's house, after all, Jack did promise that they could go for ice cream in Citadel of Doom and after they had ice cream they start playing board games. That's my sad explaintion.

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.


	8. Chapter 8: Club

A/N: Okay, first thing first. Warnings: Mild Swearing, but I think that's it. Oh, and I didn't mean to offend anybody, if I did manage to offend you, somehow... Oh, like the others its pretty unedited, pray that your eyes don't burn.

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown, or the reference to Power Ranger and Sailor Moon.

* * *

Jack Spicer trudged down the walkway, annoyance written in his eyes and the twitch of his brow. It was a pleasantly beautiful spring-ish day, with the flowers just in bloom, a light breeze was playing with his hair, and the sun giving out a refreshing warmth after a long cold winter.

It was the type of day he hated. As far as he was concerned the flower needed to be either stepped on, or taken home to his mother. The wind was obviously a curse from Raimundo, because it kept messing up his hair, which he had styled for maximum evilness and fangirls' squeals. And he was never really a fan of the sun, granted he didn't like the cold, but he preferred the gloom and doom of his dark basement.

But it wasn't the day that had him so annoyed. Nope, he could deal with the rest of the world being creepily happy and chipper.

It was the five set of eyes that were following him everywhere he went that was getting on his nerves.

Jack let out a frustrated sigh, as he tried not to beat his head into the nearest solid object, (which was a knotted oak tree).

The fact that they had been stalking him since lunch was enough to make him scream bloody murder, but they fact that they were acting as if he didn't know that they were following him made him want to commit murder.

It had been a regular day at school. He had been forced out of his dark basement by his mom, and had made it half way through the day, only getting thrown in the trash once by the rat-brain jocks. It was when he was sitting in the grungy looking cafeteria, wondering how anybody could ever manage to swallow the slimy yellow goop they served, that he noticed that somebody was attempting to stare a hole through the back of his head.

Jack glanced around, and when his eyes fell upon the perpetrators he was slightly disturbed.

Three geeky looking boys, one with glasses almost as big as his face, and two awkward looking girls stood in a loose circle, whispering loudly, and making obviously gesturing points at him.

Five seconds later, when they noticed he was looking at him, they stopped talking immediately and pretended to eat quietly.

No idea of subtlety whatsoever.

Rolling his eyes, walked to the nearest trash can threw his so called food away with a little more force then necessary. He was use to whisper and stares. _'Oh, look, over there it the goth kid.' 'I saw him in the trashcan earlier.' 'He's weird looking.' 'Do you think those red eyes are contacts or some kind of disease?'_ He mused as he walked out towards the media center. Maybe the librarian would let him onto one of the tech lab's special computers and he can get some new designs done.

But to Jack's horror, the five people threw their food away too, and stared to follow him.

So began the game of hide and seek. In the thirty minutes the students were expect to finish their lunches, wherever Jack went, his five stalkers followed.

The real oddity came when he when to class. Jack figured that there was no possible way they could follow him into class.

He was wrong.

Apparently, at least one of the stalkers had at least one class with him. And unfortunately for Jack, subtlety still failed them.

Each time they spotted him, they made their ways towards him, and sat down in the seat next to him, where Jack knew they didn't sit before this day.

When Jack asked what they were doing, they either, A: shrugged their shoulders, B: pretend to ignore him or C: became very interested in a non-existent stain on the desk.

Needless to say, by the end of the day Jack wanted to hit each one of them over the head with the ruler and demand answers.

Now, he was trying to walk home. Scratch that. He was trying to lose his five stalkers in one the passing neighborhoods, before going home. Jack certainly didn't want them knowing where he lived. Usually, he would take his jet pack and fly home before they could follow him, but his jet was ruined in his last fight against the Xiaolin Warriors and was current being repaired in his basement.

Looking over his shoulder, Jack red orbs eyed his stalkers with enough distaste to send a person six feet under and send a baskest of flowers to their funeral. Spinning on his boots, Jack turned and faced the group, throbbing vain firmly fixed on his forehead.

He was Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius, Future Ruler of the World, and his five classmates better prepare for his wrath.

"Is there a reason you following me?" He growled.

The five froze like a deer headlights. They stood pretending that maybe if they didn't move, Jack would forget they were there. Unfortunately for them, Jack wasn't that easily amused. Finally, the all darted in different directions, attempting to hide behind nearby objects, such as the mailbox, pine trees and rosebushes. The biggest one, hid behind the little twig of a stick tree.

"I can still see you." Jack deadpanned.

After some muttering and pointing between the five from their respective 'hiding' places, they all step out. Walking in front of Jack they stuck a pose, which reminded Jack of Power Rangers.

"You are Jack Spicer, correct?" Asked what Jack thought to be the leader, his voice high and nasally.

"No," Jack lied.

"Y-Yes, you are!" stuttered a short girl, with black bangs hanging in front of her face so you couldn't see her eyes, "the te-teachers call y-you Spicer all t-the time!" As if that proved everything.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Okay, I am Jack, (because the teachers say so). What do you want?"

The five of them muttered between themselves again.

"What are you doing?" asked Jack, temper about to implode.

"Give us a second," said the Leader, "we rehearsed this." Bug-glasses nodded ecstatically.

The all lined up, Leader in the center with Bug-glass and a Hair-girl to his right and a Pudgy-boy and a tall wiry looking girl with braided hair to his left.

And then, to Jack's dismay, they started.

"Okay," Said Tall-girl, "I'm Adrianna." And she stuck a pose.

"Annnd," sang Hair-girl, "I'm LeeLee," she pointed to herself.

"I'm Torrance," Pudgy-boy claimed, his voice squeaking, and he also stuck a pose similar to Tall-girl.

Bug-glasses attempted to sing, (and I say attempted because he was extremely tone death), "My name is Brandy."

"And I!" shouted Leader spinning around and doing a dance that looked suspiciously like Sailor Moon, expect for the fact there was no glowing light, and he didn't burst into a sailor's outfit, "am Alexen!"

And they all danced around each other and stuck another pose.

Jack twitched. "What the Hell was that?"

"We're not done yet" Hissed Tall-girl.

And so the monstrosity continued as they all began to chant. "And together we are," they all spun around, "the Robotics Club."

Jack coughed. "That's…" he searched for the right word, "disturbing… but what does that have to do with me?"

"We want you, Jack Spicer, to join our Robotics Team." Demanded Leader, "we have heard that you are a robotic genius, and we would like you to join us as we go to Nationals that's happening in a week."

"Well, it is true that I'm a robotic genius," Jack bragged, "but I'm not joining."

"What?" They all gasped.

"Not joining," Jack spelled out. "Now leave me alone." And with that Jack tried to walk away.

"B-but you don't un-understand," Hair-girl ran after him.

"Yeah!" shouted Pudgy-boy.

"We need you!" claimed Leader, Bug-glasses and Tall-girl echoed him.

"Yeah, well I don't give a damn. Stop stalking me." And so Jack flicked them off and ran away, leaving them all shocked.

* * *

Jack woke to his alarm clock annoying buzz. Rolling out of bed he did his toilet-trees and headed down stair, still in his rocket ship pjs and evil bunny slippers. "Mom," he called, "what's for breakfast?" And then he froze.

Five people that he never wanted to ever see again were in his kitchen.

"Mom, what are they doing here?!" He shout, appalled at the situation at hand.

"Isn't it great Jackie, you're friends are here to walk to school with you." Mrs. Spicer sighed, looking extremely happy to know her son actually had friends.

"I-I like you're sle-sleep-wear, Jack," whispered Hair-girl.

"Hey, Jack. You're up late," frowned Leader, disapproval written on his forehead.

"Uhhh…" went Jack before he ran back upstairs.

Jack return, fully dressed in his trench coat and fuming. "How did you guess find my house?" Hissed Jack under his breath as his mom served everyone waffles.

"School directory," supplied Tall-girl as if it was common sense, (which it was).

"Get out of my house." Snarled Jack when his mother was finally out of hearing range, as he bathed his waffles in maple syrup.

"Join our club." Was Leader's comeuppance, before he glared at Jack's waffles, "that has to be unhealthy."

"Like Hell, and leave my waffles out of this."

"Ple-please?" begged Hair-girl.

"No." Said Jack.

The walk to school was slow and painful. Something Jack never wanted to relive again. Being asked consecutively over and over again if he would join the Robotics Club was something Jack considered insanely annoying.

* * *

After three days, of being stalked by the same people, Jack was going bonkers. He could bear get any work on his robots done. He was in his basement, attempting to fix his backpack when his mother called him.

"What?" he roared back.

"Somebody's here for you!" she called from upstairs, "get up here."

"NO!" shouted Jack as fear erupted in his stomach, he never want to see those five people again. It would give him nightmares. Send him into expensive therapy. He wasn't exaggerating, what are you talking about?

"Get. Up. Here. Now!" screamed his mother, and Jack trudged upstairs, "and don't dare be rude." And she threw him into the kitchen and walked away.

Jack had never been so happy to see her in his life. He gapped, "Ashley?"

Ashley gave him a vicious glare as she sat on his island counter. "You know its Katnappé, and Kat when you're mother is around. Don't make me claw out you're eyes." She would happily do it too.

Jack didn't care; he was happy he had finally had somebody else to talk to beside the horrible Robotics Club. However, he couldn't show that he was happy to see Ashley that would ruin their whole hate/hate relationship. "Whatever, what do you want?"

Ashley smirk that little smirk of hers. "I've heard something from gossip vine." Taunted Ashley, talking her sweet time, "Something about our school own self-appointed Evil Genius."

"Point?" asked Jack.

"Getting to it." Hissed Ashley, "and continue from where I was so rudely interrupted." She cleared her throat, "I heard a rumor about you, Jackie."

Jack scowled.

"I heard," persisted Ashley, "that you, are in the company of the ever geeky Robotics Club. Now usually, I wouldn't give a damn about who wants to join the club and commit social suicide, but unfortunately for me, our parents are friends. Which means ever blue moon or so, no matter how much I try to prevent it, we are seen in each other company. I can't be seen in the company of somebody associating with the Robotic Club." Ashley glared at him, like it was his fault he had five stalkers, "Ditch them Jackie, or you'll little baby pictures will show up on the school website."

"Hey!" Jack pointed a long finger at Ashley, "you said you destroyed those!"

"I lied." Ashley rolled her baby blue eyes.

Jack moaned, throwing himself onto the high chair. "It's not like I want them following me. I swear they won't leave me alone."

"Jack, you're an idiot." Ashley flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"What?" squawked Jack, miming a parrot.

Ashley sighed; it was like dealing with a two year old. "Okay, I'll help you with this. What do they want, Jack?"

"Uhhh… for me to join the Robotics Club? Where is this going?" Jack wondered.

Ashley ignored the last part, "Why? Why do they want you to join there club?"

"Because I'm a genius?" Jack raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What do they want you to help them do?" Ashley displayed an amazing amount of patience.

"Oh, um… win the Nationals."

"Right, good boy." Clapped Ashley, sarcasm evident, "Now here's what you do. You join the stupid club, make the robot so it blows up in their faces during Nationals. They realize you're not the genius you pretend to be, and they leave you alone, forever."

"That's a good idea," Jack praise, missing the insult hidden in her words. "I'm glad I thought of it."

Ashley eyes did another roll, as she left the kitchen, "Idiot."

* * *

"Will you-" began Leader, as they ambushed Jack while he was eating his lunch.

"Yes." Jack winced and tried to pretend he never said that.

"What?" Bug-glasses gapped.

"I'll join you're" Jack forced his mouth into a thin smile, _'stupid'_ "club. I'll help you with nationals. Just leave me in peace, and stop stalking me."

"Stalking is a harsh word." Tall-girl said. Jack ignored her, still horrified of what he just said.

"But will you seriously join?" Leader look excited, and Pudgy-boy was literally bouncing with joy.

"Yes." Whimpered Jack, running a hand through his red hair.

"Great!" Leader enthused, "we have a great room in the back of the school, filled with spare parts. We have some great designs that we want you to view-"

"Wait a sec," Jack started to panic, he didn't want to be stuck in a room with them. "Relax. I have the whole thing under control. You guys don't have to worry. I have enough spare parts, and designs at home, you guys don't have to do a thing."

Leader frowned. "Are you sure?"

"YES!" Jack nearly screamed, "Boy-genius, remember?"

"Okay then, we trust you." And with that they all marched away, expect for Hair-girl, who stayed put, sitting next to him.

"Uhh…" Jack started.

"Th-thank you." She managed, ducking her head so it covered her whole face. "You're a really life saver Jack. Maybe this year we have a chance at winning."

"Thanks?" Jack tried, as awkwardness filled the air.

Hair-girl blushed red, hand cradling her face, before she turned and ran after the rest of the club.

Jack almost felt bad, he was going to crush the small girl's hope. Almost.

* * *

Nationals were really just a big excuse for geeks to get together and try to win at something. It was located in a big were-house, filled to the brim with geeks of all kind.

Jack cringed, as the Robotics Club tried to make him put on the bright yellow uniform.

"Jack, come-on." Begged Leader.

"It's yellow, I'm not touching it." Hissed Jack, nostrils flaring. He had better things he could be doing, like trying to find Shen Gong Wu.

"Pl-please, Jack?" pleaded Hair-girl.

Jack sighed. It was hard to say no to a girl who looked like she was about to burst into tears if you did say no. He hated crying girls.

Jack shrugged off his trench coat, put the shirt on and put his coat back on and zipped it up.

Hair-girl blushed.

The robot was in its container, and the rest of the team hadn't got a good look at it. Which was a good thing if Jack's personal opinion counted for anything anymore.

"We're up." Leader said, and they dragged the wooden box to the arena where Jack's robot would be fighting the other team's.

Jack's robot emerged from the box everyone in the stadium gasped.

"It's amazing." Tall-girl gasped.

"Wow, we're going to when for sure." Leader eyed the robot, then the trophy.

Jack smirked.

"Ready began!" shouted the announcer.

It was in the middle of the fight when it happened.

_'Ka-boom.'_ Thought Jack.

And then everything went,

_**BOOM!!**_

Nationals had been reduced to a pile of ashes. By the time the Robotics Club dragged themselves up from the ashes of the once were-house they were furious. When they found out they had been kick out of Nationals for the rest of there respective live, they were turning red with fury.

They yelled, cursed and screamed at Jack, expect for Hair-girl who was crying.

"I'm afraid; we're going to have to ask you to leave the Robotics Club, Jack Spicer." Leader bit out, spitting Jack's name like poison.

Jack almost jumped with joy. Instead he just nodded and turned around and left. Finally some peace.

"Ja-Jack!" somebody stuttered.

Jack froze turning to face Hair-girl.

"I'm uh… well, you tried Jack." She shifted her weight from foot to foot and her bangs swayed in front of her face, which was turning red. "Maybe, if-if you want. I-I can and tr-try to convince them, to, to let you back in…"

"No!" Jack almost yelled.

Hair-girl froze with fear.

"It's okay, really. I think its better this way." Jack insisted.

"O-okay. See you at school." And she ran way.

Letting out a deep breath, Jack sighed. It was over. Jack skipped home, happiest he been in a long while. He had a yellow shirt to burn.

* * *

A/N: I rewrote this three times in three different ways and I'm not to sure if I like it. I don't dislike it like the other two, but I can't tell if I'm completely happy with it or not. But I bothered to write it three time, so I'm going to post it because there is no way I"m writing it a fourth. But still, rewriting it that many times has taught me a lesson. The word 'fun' is in the word fureral. Huh.

The Robotics Club is really a club at my school, (I don't know if they have it at every school), but it full with nice people that aren't at all related in anyway to my OC's. In fact, I usually disliked OC's but it sort of had to be done. I don't even know all there names, I would have to scroll up and check. And if anybody picked up on it, Hair-girl did have a crush on Jack.

Schools starting. Which sucks, because I was actually writing a lot this summer. School will take a dent in my writing time, and I'm a slow writer to began with. I have an hard first semester. My first hour class is AP Calc. which mean I'm going to have to drink some caffeine to wake me up. Can't sleep in that class. Sighs. If all you reader are going back to school, I wish you have a good time.


	9. Chapter 9: Training

A/N: School is a drag. On the bright side, I finally got something that is exactly a hundred words. On the dark side, its a bit... uh... random, filled with OCCness, and truly has no point, you have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

* * *

"You are at a physical disadvantage, even with my training; you are not the type of species to easily win. You must be tough, train hard, meditate and listen to my every word."

One of them yawned.

"There will be no yawning!" He growled. "I will have you in top fighting force. You must be strong for combat! Fierce in the face of battle!"

"Chase, what are you doing?" Katnappé asked.

"Uh…" He paused.

"Not this again," she sighed. "You have your own set of felines, go bother them. Come along kitties." She left the room, mutated fuzzy balls following her.


	10. Chapter 10: Photo

It was one of those horrifying awkward moments. The type that make up nightmares. Not even Mrs. Spicer's double chocolate chip cookies could make up for this.

"Mom!" Ashley gapped looking aghast.

Her mom shushed her.

Mrs. Spicer turned and look fondly down at the offending object, "Oh, look there little Jackie and Ashley in the tub, how old were they back then?"

"Oh, I don't know," Said Ashley's Mom, "Almost two?"

And then, they went back to showing the rest of the guests and Ashley's friends more baby pictures. Now, Ashley knew the reson why Jack decided to stay in the basement.

* * *

A/N: Yeah. Nothing to say.

Disclaimer: I don't own.


	11. Chapter 11: Homebaked Cookies

A/N: Been a while since I done anything, too much work and school. Sigh, this is just a quick little thing, but its one of the few thing I wrote in a long time. I don't think there are any major warnings here... it's basically harmless... I hope.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

* * *

"This ain't funny."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm serious; let me down partner."

"No."

"Ya don't and I'll tell Kimiko 'bout the –"

"The time you decided to sleep-wrestle the Dojo equipment in your baby blue donkey underwear? Why yes, I'll be happy to upload that on to the internet and send it to your family. I'm sure Jessie would get a kick out of it and your father… well…" He shrugged helplessly.

"… You wouldn't dare."

"Don't throw stones when you live in a glass house."

"…Who do you think you are?! Master Fung!? Stop trying to be wise!"

Raimundo shrugged again, uncaring.

Clay sighed. "Just let me down, you had your fun."

"No."

"What?"

"I told you not to eat my cookies. And you didn't listen."

"…That is what this is about?"

"They're my sister's famous cookies! I told you not to touch them and you went and ate them! Again!"

"So… this isn't about the Kimiko and they guy from Britain?"

"What?"

"Nuthin'"

"No, you can tell me."

"Nuh-uh."

Raimundo quirked and eyebrow.

Clay attempted to keep a straight face.

"…Look, we'll come back to this subject later. My cookies."

"I didn't eat them."

"Lair."

"I didn't! I wanted to but they were gone faster than cattle when you leave the fence gate open."

"Am I supposed to believe that?'

"It's true!"

"You eat them all the time!"

"They're good!"

"So you admit you ate them."

"No, I tried to eat them. Say it with me; _tried_. They were gone by the time I got there."

"As if –"

"I telling you, Master Fung, I'm hearing noises down this hallway. Somebody's here." A light voice broke through their argument.

Raimundo and Clay turned and stared at the doorway watching as the rest of their team and Master Fung appeared, in their pajamas.

Omi looked somewhat confused, "Raimundo?" He looked up, "Clay?" His gaze fell back down, "what are you doing up this late?"

Kimiko gapped, "and why is Clay tied to the ceiling?"

Master Fung just shook his head. He should have just gotten a dog then investing in four young trainees; it would have been easier, less of a mess.

"He ate my cookies." Raimundo folded his arms, giving the appearance of a stubborn child.

"I didn't!" hollered Clay.

"Your… cookies?" Omi cocked his head to the side. "They were yours?"

"Oh… Haha… those cookies?" Kimiko blushed pretty, shuffling in her slippers.

Raimundo looked flabbergasted. "It was you two?"

Master Fung coughed, before owning up. "Your sister makes good cookies. It's very hard to come across cookies that good now a days."

Raimundo just stared, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

"I told you." Clay muttered from above.

"Sorry, Rai." Kimiko pulled out her best puppy face, "It just that… they're really good… I couldn't help myself. Next time we'll save a few for you."

"…Right." Raimundo still looked like he was in shock, otherwise he might had notice the fact she implied she would do it again.

"And next time don't jump to conclusions." Master Fung pointed at Clay who dangled from the rafts, "I'll let it slide because it's our fault we didn't admit what we did sooner, but please refrain from tying up teammates."

"Yes, Master Fung." Raimundo grounded out, before being to hover up to untie Clay.

"Right." Master Fung nodded wisely, before leaving being trailed by the other two.

"I told you." Repeated Clay.

"Uh-huh." Raimundo fiddled with the knots, but didn't untie them.

Clay waited and waited. And waited. "Going to let me down?"

"Well… I thought… while we're here… Kimiko and the British guy, right? What was that about, again?"

Clay had half a mind to scream. This night just didn't want to end.


	12. Chapter 12: Waiting

A/N: Hmm... I was trying for a different style, not too sure how it came out. Was having a hard time with past and preasent tense, it kept switching back and forth as I wrote, so if there is a lot of unevenness just say so in a review, I swear I went through and tried to get it all out...

AP Tests are coming up, and writing this was a happy outlet for all the stress and Calc. Packets I've been going through.

Disclaimer: Don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Warnings: I actually think I've avoid swearing in this one... I think. Umm... Pairing could be RaiKim, but then again, it could just be close friendship and leadership skills.... soo... open for interpretation.

* * *

A girl of Asian descent, in dark denim jeans, a pretty blue top that matched her bright eyes and a white casual jacket stood outside the new coffee house, watching the blur of cars and people passing her by. She hummed a tune she didn't know, rocked on the balls of her feet, and took a few cautious sips of her coffee.

It really wasn't like him to be late.

She sighed. A gentle breeze brushed past her, tugging at a few strands of her hair.

Then again it wasn't like her to be early. She checked the clock on her phone, and winkled her nose impatiently. This was why she always was late; she hated waiting.

"Waiting for someone?"

She turned and surprised she didn't hear the man walking up besides her. "Yeah, but he's late."

The man frowned, "It's not nice to keep a lady waiting. Through I'm pretty sure I'm not late."

"You are by three minutes." She informed him, taking up another sip off her coffee.

The man had the gall to roll his eyes, but he offered her his hand and she took it. "Well, considering how many times you've been late, think you can find it in your heart to forgive me this once?"

She pretended to think about it. "Maybe. But just this once."

"Oh, good. I was worried for a second." He smiled, as led her down the street.

Her eyes drifted to the faces of the people she was passing, and then she frowned as things started to fuzz over. She took another sip of her coffee.

"Didn't know you drank coffee this late."

"It keeps me focused." She told him, tearing her eyes away from the people. At least most of the time it did. It didn't seem to be working quite that well today; she dropped the rest of the cup in a green trash bin.

A silence descended on them, and she her eyes seemed to fade out and go back to watching cars.

Blue, blue, silver, blue, black, red, then blue again, and an occasional yellow, the people walking around her become an inconstant buzz in her head that faded in and out, in and out again. A bright light floated by, beautiful and bright and enchanting and she stopped to stare.

"Let's go inside." She said, staring at the store window.

The man stopped pulling her along to look. "A candle shop?" He shook his head, "I've made reservations. I don't want to be late."

She watched the flames burn in the window. "It won't take that long." She breathed and went inside.

The creaked when it opened and the air rushed inside to mix with the many scents that lay inside. She walked in chin held high, eyes flicking to the many flames that lighted the room.

"Welcome!" Said the girl behind the counter, who looked around her age and happy to finally get some visitors to cure her boredom. "Can I help you?"

"I know what I… I'm just looking." She answered stiffly. Part of her want to she knew what she was looking for, but she really didn't.

"Alright," The girl looked a bit displeased, and went back to chewing bubble-gum.

She turned to the lit candles watching the flames.

"So, work long hours?" The man asked the girl.

She trailed her fingers over some of the large round candles. Peppermint, Fresh Apple, Green Apple, Mashed Potato, Rain. Hmm… Rain.

"Yeah, just a little." The girl replied, smiling gratefully.

"Name's Tracy?" He pointed to her tag.

'_Rain, Rain_' She thought and fingered the candle. Rain was water. Water was… She didn't know. '_Water Dragon_.' She thought a bit absently. And then shook her head. What was she thinking? Her small fingers left the candle and she moved onwards.

Tracy looked down on the ugly apron with the big name tag. "Yeah, it is. Well, you know my name, what's yours?"

She looked at a couple candles named in the spices section, and her stomach turned. '_Jerk_' she thought and moved on.

He laughed huskily and gave her his hand. "Jason."

Tracy took it, before nodding her head at the potential buyer, "Who's your friend?"

She pick up a glass jar labeled 'Clay,' opened it and sniffed, breathing it in. It reminded her of Texas. '_But I've… never been to Texas_.'

A frown press into the tilt of her lips, and she put the jar back.

"Her, oh, her name is Kirsten." He said.

Tracy giggled.

She flinched, eyebrows twitching in irritation, even now, the name sound wrong. It wasn't her name, she knew that, but she didn't know her own name, so she took what she was given. She watched three open candles flicker.

'_Bright, bright flame. Burn, burn flame. Flames burn bright._' She thought not really knowing what she was thinking. She watched the fire get bigger. Her hand moved of its own accord, to pass the middle one.

Back and forth through the flame, so quick it didn't burn her fingers. It was a trick she still knew, still remember from somwhere.

"Oh, she anything special?" Tracy asked, trying to decode what type of man Jason was.

Jason grinned, but didn't saying anything.

Her eyebrows twitched as she listened. '_Jerk_.' Then the blue eyes flew wide open and her mouth opened as if to scream. She had left her hand resting in the open flame. The flame burned around her two fingers that lay in it, yet…

Her finger weren't even warm. They didn't burn. She pulled back her hand and clutched it to her chest.

"We're leaving." She announced, trying to quell the panic that was rising in her. She wanted nothing more than to stick her hand in the flame and keep it there. And that scared her more than anything.

Jason turned to her, "alright."

"Wait." Tracy protested, "don't you want to buy anything?"

"No," she snapped angrily, and made for the painted green door.

Something caught her eye. "Yes." She grabbed it offer the wooden shelf and swung it wildly to the counter. "This."

"I'll pay for it." Offered Jason, in attempted to diffuse the situation.

Tracy raised a neatly plucked eyebrow, but bagged the white candle anyways.

-

They left the store in silence. She was now unusually focused, aware that the silence was more than awkward, and aware that while Jason's hand was in hers, he was busy watching the butts of the two women walking in front of them.

Something is stirred in her stomach, red, dark, and angry. It bubbled up to her throat and she tried to swallow it while glaring at the world.

Something is coming, something is about to happen, she can feel it in her bones. She can feel it in her soul. She is waiting for it. And she hated waiting.

-

The feeling of drifting is coming over her again, and the focus and anger has dissipated into the air. And she walked straight into a waking dream.

It's dark here, and that's nothing new to her. But she is no longer on a street but on a boat, and the storm lifted its head up to roar. She is cold, wet, hurt, and frustrated and people are yelling at all sides of her.

She's lost and confused and the water rushing over the boat pushed her around like a limp rag doll. The only reason she wasn't flown overboard is because strong arms had grabbed her and held her to him.

The man is wet and bleeding from the temple, but with strength unheard of her pulled her out of the water and carries her to a dark, dry area shelter a bit from the winds and water.

He set her down, like a child, and something coils in her to snap at him, but she doesn't know what she would say.

He has very green eyes, ones that could almost glow through his dark bangs. She noted this as he talked, and she barely heard a word he says.

Finally he sighed, and told her to stay that he would come back and get her.

And she is alone, left cold and wet in a dark corner of a boat that is going to sink.

-

"Here, we are." Jason said, tracing the fingers in his hands.

She whipped her head to him, pulling herself out her trance. "So we are." She stared at the restaurant, but didn't really see.

The restaurant is dimly lit with low shrouded light and candles with scent of cinnamon burning everywhere. The shadows dance on the wall with the effect of looking private and mysterious. The seats are deep and cozy and red and it's a place for lovers to go to whisper sweet nothings in there each other ears. But they aren't lovers, and she is more interested in the flame then she is him.

"Like it?" He asked, and he reached for her hand. She slips her hand off the table, and looked away.

Something hit her like a train. She felt as if she is still standing in front of the coffee house, waiting and sipping her coffee, watching as the cars pass. She is still waiting. Through it was him she promised to meet she is still waiting for something or something and it's not him.

And she hated waiting.

She pressed her red lips together and folds her hands as the waiter takes their orders. He tried to order for her, but her voice cuts through his like fire. He struggled to make conversation.

"So… the candle? What scent is it?" He asked, trying to gauge her mood.

"Wind." She replied, frostily, attempting to glare a hole in his head.

He laughed, and she had a sneaking suspicion as if he is laughing at her. "Didn't know that wind had a scent."

Her temper flares almost to a snapping point. "It does." She snarled, but doesn't know why she is so angry, only that it taking all her will power not to reach out and slap him.

Wind was –is? – a safe point.

He raised an eyebrow, "Calm down; calm down."

He doesn't hide the way his eyes follow her chest when she breathed deep to calm herself.

"So, how's therapy? Any memories come back to you?" He's polite about it, as if it a delicate situation and she might burst into tears at the very mention of her condition.

She frowned again, and while she appreciates everything he done since she's arrived, appreciates his visits while she was cold and alone in that huge clean hospital; she can't help but feel he's grating her nerves and wearing out his welcome. The fact that she couldn't remember her childhood or anything that transpired before he found her was an annoying bitter subject she dealt with every time she saw him, along with his ridiculous offer that she should come and live with him.

"It's coming along fine." She answered.

"Anything new?" He pretended to be interested.

"A man with green eyes, yelling to someone not to let me drown." She shrugged, as if it didn't matter, "and a lot of cold icy salt water."

"Yeah, good thing we found you." He puffed out his chest, "You would have been fish food; you got very lucky."

She stared at him, deciding not to mention that sea didn't, at least to her, like it was trying to drown her, more like it was playing games.

They fell silent again, the waiter coming to give them their food.

She stared at her plate, pasta with shrimp hidden inside, and sighed. She is no longer hungry.

Suddenly, the wooden roof crashed inwards and a young man landed on her plate, forcing the table to the floor.

"Ouch." He proclaimed, and got to his feet brushing himself off. It seemed like an everyday occurrence to him, but more importantly, it seem like an everyday occurrence to _her_. "Oh, no. I landed in somebody food." He shook his ruined pants leg.

Everyone around her is screaming and heading for the door, trampling themselves, in order to get out. Jason pulled at her arm, yelling that she needs to move or she was going to die or something to that extreme. Honestly, she didn't know.

Honestly, she didn't quite care.

She content to stare at the strange short man who look like he got lost and needed help getting back to his temple.

"I'm sorry miss –" He turned to look at her and the words died on his lips. He opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish out of water.

"Move now!" Jason decided to break her ear drums and he practically picked her up and carried her out of the building. She stared in awe, the first natural smile forming on her lips. She is no longer waiting.

'_They are here_' she almost giddy at the thought, through she wasn't sure what it meant.

The young monk smiled back at her and jumped out of the restaurant (through the broken, flaky roof) and she heard cries of "I found her! I found her! Clay! Raimundo!"

* * *

A/N: I would give you five guess on who the main girl is, but I think you'll only need one. I dropped so many hints...

There shall be a Part II and Part III (Maybe), sometime in the future.

Please Review.


	13. Chapter 13: Silence

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown. I dare say I never will.

Summary: A decision is made. A fight is lost. And in the aftermath, one must learn to heal. Even if there is no physical injury, the guilt is deafening.

Warning: If anyone remembers, I have this terrible habit of not editing my work. Yeah. Still have this habit. So, it's logical to assume this is unedited.

* * *

It was a quiet night. The darkness lay heavy, the sun had gone to bed long ago, and stars danced around half a moon. The temple was like an ancient painting, still and vast, most of the inhabited had long went asleep.

Only one lantern was lit, set on the porch next to a boy, who looked too old and too bent. He sat and watched, eyes red and tired but unable to sleep. His feet were thrown over the edge and every once in a while they jerked and twitched, as if he was trying to swing them but had forgotten how.

"It is a beautiful night."

The boy recoiled, unnerved yet unsurprised Master Fung had snuck up on him. He watched the shadows crawl across the temple lawn. Watched and waited for the monster hiding in the darkness, out of the light of the moon. He saw nothing beautiful. "Yeah. Sure."

"You do not agree?" Master Fung asked. He sensed sarcasm, something he had to learn to do when he took in three teenagers that lived the first half of their life in the modern world.

The boy shot his master a strain glance. "It's just as nice as any other night."

Master Fung quirked an eyebrow. "If you are not up to appreciate the night, then I must inquire. Why you are up?"

The boy was silent.

"Raimundo." Master Fung said. A soft simple statement.

He felt empty. "Must you ask?"

"Is it about earlier?"

The boy flinched, as if he'd been slapped.

And the Master sighed. "What happened, happened. And depriving yourself of sleep will not change that."

"I've been thinking." The boy said.

"Perhaps a bit too much." Muttered Master Fung, but still he let himself it beside him.

Raimundo hesitated, as if trying to figure out how to approach a hungry dragon. "I. Are you sure you made the right choice? By choosing me."

"Never had a doubt." Master Fung let the words sink in. "Still I do not."

The sound that escaped him could only be describe as a hiss. "I almost got them _killed_." He leap to his feet. "I messed up. I made one bad decision, and now they paid for it. I- I don't know if-" He fell silent, cutting himself off. Breathing hard through his nose. "How could they forgive me for that? How can I forgive myself for that?"

Master Fung was silent.

Raimundo twitched. "Answer me!"

The look that Master Fung gave him would be akin to a deadpanned glare. "You made a mistake and you will make more. You, as leader, are responsible for there lives, and you, and only you, can figure out how to handle the responsibility." Master Fung sighed. "As they trust you to lead them, you must trust them to follow, and trust them to be able to take care of themselves."

He stood up, old limbs aching. "It is not easy."

Raimundo sat. Or tried to sit, it was more like dropping to floor under a heavy weight.

Master Fung gave a small sad smile. "You will figure things out. In time. For now get some sleep."

"I'll think I'll like to stay out here a bit longer." He admitted.

"Then, at least, let me fetch you a blanket."

* * *

"Is he blaming himself?" the voice was small, coming from the pile of pillows and blankets.

Master Fung didn't stop, taking the blanket from out of the storage.

It was enough of a reply.

"He's an idiot." The voice murmured sleepily.

* * *

By the time Master Fung returned with the blankets, Raimundo was asleep, the light of the lantern glowing on his face. With out a sound, he lay the sheet over him and blew the flame out.

Whether or not he had the answer by the time dawn broke did not matter. He still had to face the light day.

* * *

A/N: Whut? I'm alive? How long has it been? Is anyone else out there?

Oh well.


	14. Chapter 14: Odd

Disclaimer: I don't know Xiaolin Showdown.

Warning: Unedited and AU. This is what happens when I don't sleep.

* * *

"I love you."

Kimiko paused, and set her coffee down on top of her brown napkin that she had folded neatly in to a little square. Then she open her mouth and said something rather intelligent. "What?"

He leaned forward, making the clear glass table into between them seem to be a little too small. "I. Love. You." He had enough sincerity to make her want to run screaming out the door and down the street. It was a miracle that she didn't.

"What is you're name again?" She inquired.

He looked like she had just slapped him. "You don't remember?"

She sighed, as if she was dealing with a stupid child. "I'd just met you."

He practically exploded, "I love you! You're my sun and my moon. Could the years together actually mean nothing to you?"

The whole café turned to stared. Kimiko fought the red blush crawling up her neck to rise above her blue scarf.

"I'm leaving." She made to stand, grabbing her black purse. She just wasn't in the mood.

He dove in front of her. "Marry me."

She closed her eyes, praying for patience as her temper rose. "You've got to be kidding me."

He clutched her hand, bring to his chest. "You're my life. My joy. My heart and hope. I couldn't live a day with out you. Marry me. I beg of you."

To say she was beyond pissed was an understatement. Who did he think he was? She tugged at her hand but his grip was firm. "Let go." She hissed. "Or you'll regret it."

He stared at her with green puppy dog eyes.

The people of the café gazed at her with wide eyes and whispered ridiculous theories about lovers and how cute and adultery and true love and forgiveness, and it was enough to make any trashy romance novel writer's dream.

As she saw it she had two options. Break his hold and then break his nose, or set him on fire with a flick of her wrist. Both would get her in a shit load of trouble with the temple, so she choose the third option.

He let go once the hot coffee hit his head.

"Jackass." She muttered, and turned to leave. This day couldn't get any worse.

Only to see Kenta walk into the café.

Oh shit.

Abort, abort. This day just got worse.

"Kimiko!" He ran over to her.

How did he find her? She gapped at him like a fish.

"I didn't know you were in this city!" He looked like he just won the lotto. Kimiko would be flattered if she wasn't so horrified.

"It's for business." She muttered, trying to brush past him.

He looked pleased. "Same here." He followed her. "Maybe we can have dinner later…?"

She stared at him. And everything just stood still. His grinning face. The escalated whispers of the café, for this wasn't a trashy romance writer's dream, it was their wet dream. And the man who'd just proposed to her, in the background, mourning the loss of his white sweater to coffee stains.

She was struck by a horribly stupid idea. But Kimiko was known to be impulsive. "I'm sorry Kenta, I'm having dinner with my fiancé later."

She might as well as slapped everyone with a rubber chicken.

"What?" Said Kenta, shocked. The café was abound with a new set of rumors.

She strode past him a grabbed the arm of the man who had just proposed, who looked just as flummoxed as the rest of them, and kissed him. "You see, I just accepted his proposal for marriage. And we are off for a lovely evening. See you around Kenta." She announced to the whole café.

And so she strolled confidently out of the café, and once she was out of view of the windows high-tailed it out of there as fast as she could, dragging a shocked man behind her.

* * *

They stopped running when they hit one of the city's parks. And Kimiko had to give the man credit for keeping up, since it was a good ten miles away from the café.

"What the hell?" Asked the man.

She shot him a dirt look. "Don't give me that. You started it."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't think you'll say yes… Or pour coffee on me."

She raised a dark, neatly trimmed eyebrow. "You had to expect some retaliation for that."

He plopped down a park bench, sulking. "I was expecting a slap or something." He ran a hand through his messy brown hair. "This was one of my favorite sweatshirts."

Kimiko had to admit he looked hot. Sitting there like that and pretending to mope. To bad he had to be creep. She smirked, "Dress better next time."

He smiled. "Yeah, because it everyday a pretty chick dumps coffee on my head before shoving her tongue down my throat."

She had the decently to blush. "You shouldn't of taken the bet then."

He laughed, and it was a nice. "Wasn't a bet. It was a dare. I don't need money to be involved to do something stupid."

She gapped at him. "So you're just an idiot then?"

"Aren't we all?" He frowned a little bit. "What's with that Kenta character?"

She hesitated. What was she doing, chatting up the guy who embarrassed her in front of the whole café?

"Come on. I just covered for you, is that how you repay me?" He joked.

She narrowed her eyes. "You humiliated me in front of the whole café."

"You helped yourself with that, especially at the end." He reminded her.

She sniffed, before sitting on the bench opposite him. It was stupid to keep talking to him. Yet here she was. "He's my ex-fiancé."

He raised both his eyebrows.

"And he still under the impression we're going to get married still." She explained.

He winced, "Well, I think you gave him the message."

She snorted. "I actually doubt it. Even if I did get married, he would mostly likely be under the delusion that I wanted to have an affair with him."

He stared at her. "And why did you date him in the first place…?"

"Long story." She said shortly.

"Fine don't tell me." He grumbled. Sticking his hands into he pockets, "you only ruined my favorite shirt."

"Just use some bleach, I'm sure it'll come out."

He flashed a good humor smile and stood up. "Well, apologizes for the embarrassment. Name's Raimundo."

She thought about if for half a second, before standing up and holding out a hand. "Kimiko."

They shook. "I'll see you later." He said.

'Mostly likely not.' she thought. Because even if she did saw him, she would be sure to dart in the other direction. But nodded said anyways, "Yeah, later."

As he walked away, a gust of wind sent a flurry of red and gold colored leaves flying, and she grimaced as her skirt tried to fly up, only to be slapped down by her hand.

* * *

A/N: I should be sleeping. Yet here I am. Writing this. And if I'm writing I should be rewritng the secound part of Waiting. :| Yet I get this instead. Which also has a second part to it. A short second part. Which I already finished.


	15. Chapter 15:Waiting Part II: Running

A/N: Okay. Well, first off, this is the sequal to Waiting. Which I guess you don't have to read, but you might/probably will be confused if you don't. Waiting is chapter 12.

I tired a lot of different things with this one. So it's a lot longer then usually. I also tried to write actions scenes and I have no idea how those turned out. It was something new. I hoped it worked.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

* * *

She's being pulled away. The crowed is rushing around her, screaming, stampeding. Siren lights are flashing and blaring in the background. Jason is pulling her along, dragging her as if she was nothing but dead weight. Maybe she was. And all she knows, is that with each step she is getting further and further away from where she wants to be. Jason is yelling, panic laced in his voice, and her heart is dropping to the pit of her stomach.

She is going to disappear in the crowd. The thought scares her more then anything else. Something was happening now, and she was leaving. She would be lost again, and be back to waiting. Waiting, waiting.

She hated waiting. She really hated waiting.

It happened in an instant. One moment she is in Jason arms, being carried away. Half a second later, Jason is flipped onto the ground, gasping in pain.

"Sorry," she said. But really, she isn't. She doesn't regret this. If she was in this situation again, she would do the same thing.

She ran, shoving herself upstream against the crowd.

Back to the restaurant, where, for the first time since she can remember, she felt alive.

She will no longer wait.

* * *

He found the rest of the team on a roof of the modern bank, surveying the damage done to the city. Dojo wrapped around a cowboy had, and their Leader looking at the horizon.

"I found her." He said.

That got there attention faster then a naked man in a crowed park. "What?" They all gasped. They don't need to ask who he is talking about. They've been looking for more then a month and now that it actually happened they couldn't quite believe it.

"I've found her." He could barely contain his grin. "She was with a guy and they were going North. We can get to them in a couple of minutes."

"Well, let's go pick up the little missy." The Man in the cowboy hat said.

"Wait." Their Leader stopped them, eyes hard. "Not yet." It hurt, physically hurt, to say it. And it was as if he stuck both of them with a rubber chicken.

"What do you mean?"

"We found her. Finally. After all this time!" Protests form the peanut gallery.

The Leader shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I want to go to her right now, I really do. But we can't." He peeled his green eye open and held their accusing glances. He had to make them understand. "We have a duty. Right now there's a Shen Gong Wu out there and we have Chase, Wuya and Spicer tearing up the city. Citizens are in danger. We need to get the Shen Gong Wu and get the city out of danger before we get her."

"But." The Monk looked heart broken.

But the Cowboy was outraged. "She could be in danger too. She doesn't _remember_."

"If she was going North that was away from where we going. She goes in that direction and she'll be safe. They don't know she here, they won't go looking for her. She'll be fine. She'll just have to wait." The Leader said. Please, please let he be safe. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she wasn't. She was in the exact same situation as every other normal person in the city. If they all ran off to find her, they would be putting everyone else and her at risk.

They stared at him. They wouldn't forgive him if she wasn't.

"That an order." The Leader demanded. "Now let's get moving. The sooner we clean up this mess, the sooner we get back to her." He hoped he made the right choice.

* * *

The restaurant is empty. She stopped at her table. Her pasta is all over the floor, the table broken, a mess. A complete and utter mess.

She looked up. The hole in the ceil stared back.

No one should be able to fall through the roof and then get up as if nothing has happen.

She closed her eyes and tried to bring back her memory. It was like trying to hold water in the palms of her hand. She scratched her head and puffed her bangs out of her eyes.

Sighing, she bent down and picked up the bag she dropped when Jason carried her away. She pulled out the candle and left the rest. For some reason, the money, the keys to her apartment… just didn't seem that important anymore.

Her eyes peered upward again, lips pressing into a pout.

She was determined to follow him best she could. He had jumped from the hole onto the roof. She couldn't follow him that way. How he had even jumped that high, a whole floor, she didn't know and wasn't going to think about it. She would have to find another way up.

She made her way to the back of the restaurant, opening and closing doors. There!

They were metal and rustic and could use a good cleaning, but wall ladder lead to a hatch to a roof so she climbed up them. The hatch swung open with ease and she tittered over the broken roof. She carefully glanced down the hole in the roof. It was almost as if he was thrown through it. But that would be insane. No one would survive that. It had to be weak roof.

Which she was on…

Whoops.

She made a mental note to be careful.

Now where would he go?

Her eyes glance over the horizon. The city looked a mess. She heard a loud boom. It rocked the ground and she fell her knees..

She saw smoke, billowing up from the south towards the harbor. Her eyes widened and she instinctively headed towards it.

She ran along the roof top, to the edge and then she jumped, towards the next roof.

Half way through her jump she realized her stupidity. The roofs weren't anywhere near each other. They had to be at least a twenty foot wide chasm in between them and here she was trying to jump it. She was going to die. She would fall and end up as a flat pancake of flesh, bones and blood on the ground.

Her feet hit the pavement and she rolled. But not of the ground but of the other roof.

How?

She stopped in shock, body still in a crouch, one hand pressing into the rough dirty surface of the roof, the pressing the candle to her stomach almost as if she was cradling a baby, every muscle in her body tense, ready to spring at the slightest command. She glanced back. She crawled to the edge of the roof and looked down where she should of landed. She should not have survived that leap. It was not physically possible. She should be dead. Or at least severely injured. She should be a pancake, legs broken underneath her on the bottom of that alley. She didn't understand…

But part of her found this perfectly normal.

And that scared her.

She took a moment to breath. Trying to quell the flood of panic threaten her sanity. Shut your eyes, breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. And pretend as if this was all normal.

In her tight white-knuckle grip, there was still the candle she picked up from the shop, white and round and perfect. On in a pretty picture of blue clouds, looking as if they were being blown by wind. The soft with letters spelling W-I-N-D. It comforted her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and in her mind saw green eyes looking at her.

"Stay here." A voice said. It rich and calm and gave off the feeling of confidence, but she could tell he was worried. "We'll come and get you later."

She open her eyes and he was gone, a lost memory. He never came back. And she wasn't going to wait for him. She was so sick of waiting. So she would continue on.

But first things, first, she was getting off this roof. She stood up slowly and shakily. One foot in front of the other.

She found a fire escape and headed down. Before turning and jogging south towards the smoke.

* * *

She was about half way there when she heard a voices.

"Stop, stop! This is the police."

She spun, stopping two men in uniform.

"This area is restricted from civilians." They called, hands moving towards there guns. "Who are you?"

She broke into a sprint. Darting away from them. Maybe not the smartest thing to do but if was her first instinct.

"Stop!" They yelled, and gave chase.

She looked back, she was losing them, and fast. She was surprised. She didn't know she could move this fast.

That's when she hit something hard.

Her butt hit the ground with a thump, and all she could think was 'ouch.' That was going to bruise her tail-bone.

She heard the police officers in the background.

"What the hell?"

"Where did those things come from!"

She lifted her head upwards, blue eyes opening and then widening in surprise.

What in the world?

Did the local zoo lose a few animals? Did this city even have a zoo? Where did these things come from?

"Miss, slowly, back up and get away."

"Back-up. We need back up. Where at-"

The poor police officer was cut as the tiger, the TIGER leap at him, jaws closing on around his neck, ripping and tearing.

She gasped. Eyes turning away from the horror of blood and tearing of flesh that had once been a the police officer, as the lion, who was still residing above her, roared. The other police officer was screaming and shooting his gun.

BANG. BANG. BANG, BANG. It was almost as if it was the beat of drums.

Everything seemed to be moving to fast for her to understand what was going on, but it was like she was watching in slow motion. Yeah, it didn't make much sense to her either.

The lion raised it claw, as if to strike her down. Crave her open and let her blood spill and mix into the mud.

She threw herself to the side and rolled, still clutching the candle to her chest as if her life depended on it. She hit the wall of the alley and then shoved herself to her feet, so to stand.

The gun had stopped, and she glanced over to where the other police officer once stood. She wish she hadn't. There was no way either man was alive and they were a mess of limbs on the ground. They didn't even look human ripped open like that.

She could hear her heart beating in her ears, feel her adrenaline rushing through her veins. Fat chance it would do her any good though. She was facing a lion and a tiger. She was going to end up like those two police officers, ripped open and dead. And all she could do was clutch a candle for dear life. There was irony in this somewhere.

The two giant cats stalked closer. She could swear they wearing grins. She felt her breathing pick up.

She moved first, breaking left away from the bodies, and down the alley. The big cats roared after her and gave chase. A game of cats and mouse.

A burning sensation coiled up her legs, following her muscles as they drove into overtime. Everything around her blurred and she felt powerful as she ran, cutting through the air. All she could see was the point she was heading towards. She was moving fast, faster then she thought was humanly possible, glancing back she saw the cats giving chase. Through by some miracle of newfound confidence and miracle she was outrunning them.

She was outrunning two big wild cats. Shouldn't be possible. But at times like these, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Darting around a corner she saw a fence rise up to meet her, guarded by trash cans and other miscellaneous boxes, filled with discard and forgotten treasures. A dead end, for some. But her eyes and her mind worked overtime, in less the half of second she had her escape planned. Falling she slide feet first through a small hole underneath the fence.

She smiled as she came to a halt on the ground. Her: 1, Lion and Tiger Duo: 0. And she didn't even have to let go of her candle.

She smirked back and then mind when blank at her stupidity. As if a fence would stop these big cats. One tiger easily over the fence, claws out reached towards her face. This was it.

"Seismic Kick Earth!" was all she heard and then she felt the ground underneath her shake. She saw, through she wasn't quite sure if she believed it because it shouldn't be possible, the ground form into a fist and punch one the tiger straight into the air.

"Whaaa…" She gasped in astonishment.

The lion jumped slowly from box to box, slowly making its way over the fence, awhile growling, eyes narrowing in on a new target.

She turned too, and she swore time stood still.

Power radiated from him, and the earth was cracking around him. He was in a ridiculous cowboy outfit and it was as if he popped out form one of those old western movies she had watched last night. But above all else he seemed familiar. She took a small step forward. Her hand slowly raised, as if she could touch him from distance.

His gazed at her. Eyes wide with panic and then "RUN." He shouted. "RUN, Get out of here."

She took a step back. Glancing between him and the lion. In the distance she saw, in horror, more big cats, stalking on the roof top to stare down at them with golden eyes. She turn her wide eyes back to the man.

"RUN." He insisted.

And so she did.

She stood up shakily, and then darted past him. This run wasn't as fast as the other. When she had been in a mad panic to escape and save herself. The wind was cold on her sweating skin. She felt weak, as if misstep would cause her to stumble to her death.

In the distance she hear roaring. She didn't want to think what could happen to the man. She was worried. She was scared. Why were there big cats in the city anyways? She didn't understand.

She didn't know if she wanted too.

The alley walls were blurring together and she didn't know where she was and where she was going, only that she had to keep running.

The earth shook suddenly beneath her and she almost fell. Her shoe feel off in the process, but she didn't stop to pick it up.

She must of seemed crazy. Running down narrow alleys, missing a shoe, hair askew and clutching a candle as if it was her lifeline.

She saw an open door, and darted inside. It was a warehouse, large big and full of storage. She got lost in the maze of boxes, the ceiling above her a metal maze of pathways.

She found a little corner large boxes on both sides. And sat down, back leaning against one of the boxes.

She was shaking, and she couldn't stop. She set the candle down in her lap. Something wet was dripping around her collar. She touched her cheek. Wet. She was crying? She let out a chocking gasp. She pressed her palms to her eyes and cheeks, desperately trying to stop the tears. She could feel panic welling up inside of her, she needed something to do.

Finger peeled against the plastic of the candle, till it was just the candle, no plastic, no paper. no pretty cover, just a candle in it's plainest form. Her nails dug into the wax.

She closed her eyes slowly, listen to her heart beat. She could feel it beat through her hands.

She needed to regroup.

She didn't understand anything. What happened, the big cats the shaking earth, the jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the run. It should be possible it to too strange. Yet so familiar.

She could not remember.

She had put herself into the situation. Because she didn't want to wait. And she still didn't want to wait. But she didn't know what to do next. Didn't know how to survive.

Both the cowboy and the monk look familiar. Like passing dreams, and faded memories. But was that enough? Those big cats could rip her apart like a doll. What if she ran into them again…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a scratching noise. Claws on the cement floor of the warehouse. She slow rose to her feet. She suddenly felt hypersensitive. She could hear the drops of water hitting the ground, the scurrying of rats in the corner, and most importantly, the sound of a big cat shifting it weight across the warehouse.

She slowly stood up, sneaking as quietly as she could out of her hiding place. The sound of paws on the ground seemed to be amplified in her ears. And even in the dark of the warehouse, she could make out the outline of an image. She slowly moved around boxes, catching a glimpse of the animal following her.

A jaguar.

Her eyes were glued open. This is what she was afraid of.

Shit. Shit. Shit. What was she suppose to DO? What about the cowboy? He tried to take on all those big cats, did this one being her mean he was dead? Her stomach dropped out, she hoped not. But she had to deal with the situation here. How would she take on a jaguar with only a candle?

She could throw it at him, and run. It seemed like a horrible plan that would get her killed.

She spotted a ladder and carefully picked her way over to it. Her eyes were never off the big cat for to long, as made sure to always have more then a few boxes in between them. It followed her trail through the boxes. Prowling. Dangerous. Nose near to the ground and body tense.

She paused at the ladder before scaling up it as quickly and quietly as she could. Afraid of feeling claws sinking into her back and tearing her down into the darkness.

The feeling never came. When she reached the top she breathed a small sigh of relief. She pulled herself up to sit on the metal platform that dangled over the storage. She was so tired, and the metal felt nice and cool through her jeans. But she didn't think that it would be a good idea to sleep here and now.

She gazed over the warehouse looking for the jaguar.

When she saw it, her blood ran cold. It sat next to the ladder she just climbed, tail swishing back and forth, and she could swear there was a grin on it face. She suddenly had a horrible realization. And an idea that the big cat knew exactly what she was doing and where she was at the moment it entered the warehouse.

She was on her feet in less then half of second, eyes wide, and blood pumping.

The cat laughed. A very human creepy laugh.

She backed up, one hand trailing on the metal railing, eyes glued to the cat, trying to put some distance in between them.

The cat shook it head, bounding, blurring in with the darkness and shadows of the warehouse, muscles twisting, it landed on the storage boxes before in one jump, hitting the metal landing where she was at.

The whole platform swayed with it weight and she watched in horror as the cat begin to change.

It's body contorted, and bones broke and reset, eyes still caught her in it gaze and didn't blink as the rest of the body changed.

"Wha…. What?" She gasped, clutching the candle and backing away, stumbling over her own feet to get the away. Her eye sight blurred, as her eyes begin to tear up. What was going on. Before her now stood no cat, but a man. An ancient warrior wearing armor and carrying a giant axe, as if he just jumped out of some movie set because there was no way this could be real.

The cat man laughed and swung his axe, hitting the metal railing. It was meant to scare her, not hit her. And it worked.

She stumbled backwards. "Get away from me." She wasn't sure how this was even possible. She threw the candle in front of her as if it was some sort of defense. It lit. She blinked. Then decide she shouldn't be surprise her candle lit in a damp warehouse, when a jaguar just turned into a man in front of her. "Stay back." She waved the flame in front of her.

He laughed again, and a gravely voice came from him. "Little girl. You a bit lost. You are weak now, with out you memories." He swung the axe again and it hit inches away from her feet.

She shrieked, the platform swung and the flame grew to the size of the basket ball. "Stay the hell away from me."

An ear to ear grin. "You'll be an easy kill, and -"

She didn't let him finished. "Go away!" She screamed and through her candle at him.

It happened in slow motion. The candle on the flame grew exponentially to the engulf the man, and once it hit it grew and exploded, force pushing outwards. It flung her off her feet and into the air, as the warehouse exploded in flame around her.

* * *

Her ears were ringing, and her head was spinning, the air coming in painful gasps as she pushed herself to her feet. The building was in shambles around her, not one wall was standing.

She stumbled in a circle, and in the horizon in between the alleys of the surrounding buildings, she saw a cat-man on fire. Through the ringing of her ears she could here him screaming, as the man stagger away into the distance. She tore her gaze away, not wanting to watch.

She stood gapping in the pile of rubble. At her feet lay the candle, burnt and half way melted. She picked up with shaking hands. She could no longer smell it's scent. It smelt burned and used and like fire. There was no comforted in that. Her hands were scratched and bleeding slightly, but the burn sensation coming from it proved she was alive.

A hysterical cry worked up from her throat and she bent over clutching her stomach and chest to her legs, attempting to curl up into a ball. She gasped and cry as a wave of emotion hit her. Things were to weird. She didn't understand.

Some cat thing had just tried to kill her, and in return she had set it on fire and blew up a warehouse. Blew up a warehouse. She blew up a freakin' warehouse. She didn't understand how she did that.

There were so many things flying are her head, so many thing that happened that didn't fit logic or sense. There should be big cats running around, she saw two people get killed, she saw the earth shake and move and how in the world did she mange to destroy that warehouse? She couldn't warp her head around it.

She was tired. So very tired. She hurt and ached, and her hands stung. She couldn't remember a time she felt like this. She wonder if she made the right choice. She felt like she was following her gut instinct, following that little bald monk. But look wear it lead her. She was now an emotion wreak and a physical mess standing in the ruins of a building. All she wanted was some answers. And maybe a bed to sleep a week in.

"Well, well, well." The voice was positively gleeful. "What do we have here?"

She was on her feet in an instant. Wiping the tears from her eyes, and trying to hide her moment of weakness.

The speaker was grinning ear to ear, lazy and content atop a robot the size of a small building and shaped like a bird. He wore all black, and more make up then her, his hair so red it look dyed. The hair rose on the back of her neck and she quickly realized she was surrounded by a smaller robots. The had to be about half her size but they were armed with laser cannons and chainsaws and it was enough to send her in adrenaline filled panic.

She pointed the half burnt candle at him. "Who are you?" She asked. "And what to you want?"

He was affronted. "Excuse me?" He gapped. "You known me for years. What do you mean who am I?"

She took a better look at him. His skin so pale it looked like that he was always in some dark place, like a basement. Dark gothic make up, and a dark black trench coat. Yellow goggles with red swirls. Nope. Didn't ring a bell.

Then again she didn't remember anything past a the time where they pulled her out of the salt water.

He saw her confused looked. Then had a moment of clarity. He scratched the back of head and laughed awkwardly. "I forgot. You don't remember anything remember do you."

She narrowed her eyes. "I remember some things." She said hotly.

He laughed. "Oh yeah. Like what?"

She felt a sharp hot pain in her chest. A clenching feeling of hurt. "Things." She said. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" Her eye darted back and forth, from the armed robot hovering a few yards away to the man.

He stood up, balancing precariously, and did a little bow. "The name is Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius, and Future Ruler of the World."

Right. "And how do I know you?" She questioned. How did someone go about being so… shameless? And did she really know this person?

He blinked and stared for half second. And then an ear splitting evil grin came across his face. "Why, don't you remember, sweetie? I'm you boyfriend."

She didn't even half to think about her next response. "Lair." She deadpanned.

"How would you know?" He squawked indignity. "You don't remember anything!"

Well, she didn't actually know for sure. But… "I just don't think your telling the truth." It was a hesitant statement.

"Whatever." He replied. "What are ya doing out here, if you don't remember anything."

She shifted her weight back to foot to foot. She went with the truth. "I was tired of waiting."

"Riiiiiight. I can total understand that." Sarcasm was evident in his voice.

Her temper flared. "Look I don't understand any of this. There were giant felines chasing me, jumped a twenty for gap, the earth moved into the form of a fist at one point," she waved around her candle for emphasis, "you- you are sitting a top robotic bird-thing and surrounded by floating min-bots-"

"Jack-bots." He coughed.

"Whatever." She snapped angrily, and her candle lit on fire again. She dropped it, and it went out as quickly as it came. She scowled. "And that." She pointed to it. "Things keep lighting on fire." She paused. "Or blowing up."

Jack had the audacity to laugh. "What, what that's normal."

She glared at him.

"No, really. All in a days work for you." He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Uh-huh." She said. And waited for him to explain more. She sort of wanted to climb up to him and rip the smile off his face.

"Especially, the fire, bit. Ms. Fire Dragon." He teased.

She suddenly felt a flash of embarrassment. He was making fun of her, and she was really gaining nothing from this conversation. "Are you done? Because I got things to see and places to be." It was a lie, but he had lied to her too. Fair is fair, and she picked up her bloody deformed candle and turned to leave.

"Wait. Wait." called Jack, but she didn't stop. Making to march passed his Jack-bots, who in turn didn't quite know what to do. "Kimiko, wait."

That got her attention. Her eyes swung around to stare at him, wide and blue. "What did you say?"

He paused. "Wait?" He guessed.

She almost rolled her eyes. "No, the other word."

He looked confused. "Kimiko?"

"Yeah," she said, "that."

"What about it?"

She rocked back and fourth on her heels. "Is… is that my name?" It sounded like her name. It made since to her. She liked it. Kimiko. Kimiko. Kimiko. She like the way it sounded in her head.

He gapped at her as if she just slapped him with a rubber chicken. "Wow. Wow. You didn't remember you own….? That wu really did a number on you." He laughed. "Wow."

Kimiko pursed her lips into a frown. "I told you, I didn't remember much." She weighted her options in her head. "Do you know any more?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Any more what?"

"What else do you know about me?" Kimiko asked.

"Course I do." He smirked, at her hopeful look.

"Well." Kimiko said, "Could you, oh, I don't know, tell me?"

Jack smiled that evil smile. "I could. Here your first piece of info. In the world you live in, everything comes with a price."

She hesitated. She was surprised by this, but she wasn't sure she liked it. "So, what do you want?"

"Nothing much." Jack shrugged. "Just a favor."

"A favor." She rolled the words on her tongue. She had a bad, sinking feeling about this.

"In return, I answer every question you have. Tell you everything I know about you. You just have to do one thing in return." He jumped down from the robot, boots crunching over rubble as he strutted his way towards her.

"And that favor is…?" She questioned.

He smirked. "Your going to have to get something for me." He said. "Don't worry it won't be to hard."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Kimiko questioned, taking half a step back.

"You don't." Jack reeked of confidence as he invaded her personal space, walking around her in a manner she found really annoying and a bit intimidating. "But do you see anyone else offering you information."

Kimko shook her head. "I don't know." It felt like she was making a deal with the devil. Maybe she was.

He leaned forward and wished in her ear. As if they were five and he had a secret. "I know how to get your memories back."

She stared, eyes wider then they have ever been before. "Really? You know."

He smiled. "Of course I know. And I can tell you how to get them back." He cocked his head to the side. "All you have to do, is a little favor for me."

"Okay." She breathed. And part of her wondered if she would regret this later.

He stuck out a gloved hand. "Deal?"

"Deal." She shook it, and the glove felt rough and hard against the newly healed skin of her hand.

* * *

A/N: I would like to say that Part III is coming is soon. But considering I did Part 1, like a year ago. It will come. I just idk when. I was actually thinking of holding this back till I had enough time to start and finsh part III which should be the last part. But I'm super busy at the moment with projects and idk when I'll have the time to write it. And it would take a while to write it, because I'm planning some actually fight scenes and I'm pulling my hair out with those... So I'll figure I'll just upload this and get on with my life. It's not like I really followed an update schedule with this anyways.


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